Music has long been the soundtrack to political control. From military marches to propaganda songs to mass choir performances, music provides a means to structure time and organize bodies, to heighten collective emotions and convey messages. In this seminar, we will examine the interactions between music and authoritarian ideology and rule from the early twentieth century to the present. Why has music so often been mobilized by authoritarian regimes? What are the aesthetic and political processes at work? How do musicians and listeners figure into this process? In answering these questions we will refer to theories of politics, power and emotion to develop a critical understanding of music’s role in promoting, maintaining, contesting and negotiating authoritarian regimes.